NU Regents, Clarkson change Nebraska Medicine board following lawsuit

The University of Nebraska Board of Regents and Clarkson Regional Health Services have changed the membership of the Nebraska Medicine Board of Directors following a lawsuit from the board.

The original makeup of the board included 13 members but will now be eight as the university and CRHS move toward closing a deal for NU to become the sole owner of Nebraska Medicine. In a statement Thursday, the university and Clarkson said they have “serious concerns” about actions from the Nebraska Medicine Board of Directors, including the recent lawsuit the board made against the university and CRHS.

“While it was the original intent of both the University Board of Regents and the Clarkson Regional Health Services Board to complete their transformative transaction without making any changes to former Nebraska Medicine’s Board, they have since determined that this action was necessary to protect the organization’s reputation, stability, and future, and to ensure it can continue to fulfill its charitable mission effectively long into the future,” the university said in a statement.

The most recent chair of the board and retired Union Pacific president and CEO Lance Fritz was left off the list, along with chief executive officer of Nebraska Medicine Michael Ash. Several other business leaders were removed, including Bruce Grewcock, Kiewit chairman; Jane Miller, retired president and CEO of Gallup; and Eric Keen, HDR chairman.

Nebraska Public Media News reached out Thursday morning to Nebraska Medicine for comment and has not heard back.

The voting membership now includes:

• Interim University of Nebraska Medicine Chancellor Dele Davies, serving as chairman of the board
• William Lydiatt, CEO of Clarkson Regional Health Services and retired surgeon
• Stephanie Moline, board member of Clarkson Regional Health Services and retired executive vice president of FNBO
• NU President Jeffrey Gold

Ex officio members are:

• Bradley Britigan, UNMC College of Medicine Dean
• Scott Diesing, chief of staff of the Nebraska Medical Center medical staff
• Kelly Vaughn, chief nursing officer for Nebraska Medicine
• David Mercer, chair of surgery of the UNMC College of Medicine

The university and Clarkson filed articles of incorporation amendments with the Nebraska Secretary of State to make this change official, and those amendments were accepted. This will be an interim board until the transaction between the university and Clarkson are finalized.

The NU Board of Regents voted to move forward a deal to buyout Clarkson Regional Health Service’s half of Nebraska Medicine, which several members of the board of directors at the time had opposed.